You can own a Turner Prize Nominee, Spartacus Chetwynd, print for just £2.00!

Thrift Radiates HappinessArts Exposition14-17 March 2013Municipal Bank Building, Broad Street, Birminghamwww.thriftradiateshappiness.com The Thrift Radiates Happiness team is delighted to announce two new artists to the event. Firstly we are thrilled to announce that British artist Spartacus Chetwynd, a 2012 Turner prize nominee, will be one of our artists at the Thrift arts exposition opening next month (March), in Birmingham UK.Chetwynd studied painting at the Royal College of Art 2004 and celebrates occasions in cultural history that exemplify extremist behaviour and belief. For the Birmingham exposition, Chetwynd has produced a limited edition print that, as part of the Investment Project, you can potentially own for only £2.00 investment. Other artists partaking in the Investment Project include Mecanoo (architects), Sparrow+Castice, Mary Yacoob and an original archive image from the Library of Birmingham. Charlie Levine, curator at the TROVE gallery said that it was a great accolade to have attracted Chetwynd to perform at the THRIFT exposition. “This is not only an amazing opportunity to have access to an incredible and usual closed building, but also to invest just £2 and walk home with some incredible limited edition (of 100 each) prints from the architects of the new library to Turner Prize nominee, Spartacus Chetwynd.” The Thrift Radiates Happiness exposition is a showcase a creative programme of drawings, images, sound and light, video and music from local, national and international artists. Other artists involved in the exhibition include Elly Clarke, Tom Crawford, Caitlin Griffiths, Ellie Harrison and Nicole Wilson. The Thrift Radiates Happiness title has been taken from an inscription found carved across a main beam within the building. All the art projects featured will appropriately focus on finance and investment Entry to the three day event, being held at the former Municipal Bank Building on Broad Street, Birmingham, is free. This is the first time that the Grade II listed building has been open to the public in ten years. The event is the result of an arts and business collaboration between Birmingham based gallery TROVE, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Birmingham Architectural Association (BAA), Birmingham City Council and global architect practice Aedas. It has been funded by The Arts Council, RIBA and Aedas. Alongside the art exhibition there will be an extensive educational programme provided by the BAA and RIBA, including a public debate, heritage tours and a student design competition. Visit www.thriftradiateshappiness.com Ends For further information visit www.thriftradiateshappiness.com or call: Jennifer Chatham, Chatham Communications (+44) 7775 912818Jennifer@chathamcomms.co.uk

There is clearly a demand for more Arts & Architecture Events in our CityAs ‘Aedas Presents’ celebrates a successful 18 month term, (including an Arts & Business Cultural Champion Award!) I wanted to examine the impact that this region-wide arts and business initiative has had on local emerging artists and look at what the future holds for this programme that has gained significant momentum in the city within a very short space of time.‘Aedas Presents’ has enabled the work of more than 30 artists from West Midlands’ universities and colleges to be showcased to over 2000 of Birmingham’s business and arts community at its Colmore Plaza home.Aedas Presents is the brainchild of myself as Marketing Coordinator at global architectural practice Aedas and independent curator Charlie Levine. Key supporters include the Birmingham Institute of Art & Design at University College Birmingham, the Birmingham Library and the Royal Institute of British Architects.It was founded to support and showcase the work of emerging artists, students and graduates from local universities and colleges and to help them get on the first rung on the career ladder. Aedas is a progressive practice dedicated to design excellence, sustainability and providing solutions for the built environment that benefit communities from around the world. This ethos remains very much the way forward for the built environment and Aedas wanted to help invest in its future. One way of doing this was to find a way to engage with young up and coming talented designers and provide them with an opportunity to showcase their work. Helping them to climb that first rung of the design ladder will enable them to be seen and heard in what is a highly competitive work environment.At the time of the idea’s inception we had recently moved into our new regional office home, Colmore Plaza. With floor to ceiling glazing and an active frontage to the building this huge atrium was simply ideal to hold the types of showcase events we had in mind.There is clearly a demand for this type of city centre showcase venue as we have already received an overwhelming expression of interest from a number of art quarters which means that we have showcased exhibitions beyond our initial one year goal. It’s a great achievement and we look forward to continuing the Aedas Presents brand – in this hugely anticipated event, Thrift Radiates Happiness.Kate Eaglethriftradiateshappiness@yahoo.com@AedasPresents

Today we found out that we had been successful in getting a grant for the arts from Arts Council West Midlands. Without this funding we would have been unable to realise the project and pay the artists!